Lighter

ABSTRACT

A lighter utilizing a piezo-electric ignition device to ignite a stream of gaseous fuel wherein the fuel tank is of a molded plastic material defining a fuel reservoir and the piezo-electric ignition device is disposed within a housing integral with the fuel tank.

United States Patent 1191 Schlamp Nov. 13, 1973 LIGHTER [56] References Cited [75] Inventor: Hermann Schlamp, Koeln, Germany UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,576,383 4/1971 Fuller et al. 431/255 [73] Asslgnee' 3,576,471 4 1971 Schumacher 431/255 x [22] Filed: Mar. 22, 1972 Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors n --L H. E 1' t l. 1 pp No: 237,185 A orney ewis smgere a [57] ABSTRACT Foreign Application Priority Data A lighter utilizing a piezo-electric ignition device to Mar. 23, 1971 Germany P 21 14 476.3 ignite a stream of gaseous fuel wherein the fuel tank is Mar. 23, 1971 Germany P 71 11 3343 of a molded plastic material defining a fuel reservoir and the piezo-electric ignition device is disposed [52] US. Cl. 431/255 within a housing integral with the fuel tank.

Int. Cl. 6 2 D F- [58] Field of Search 431/255; 317/81,

317/96; BIO/8.7

PAIENTED NOV 13 I915 SHEET 2 LF 2 LIGHTER The present invention relates to a lighter activated by a piezo-electric ignition device.

In lighters of the type used to light cigars, cigarettes, pipes or the like, which utilize a volatile fuel such as butane it is common to employ a rotating spark wheel striking a flint to produce a spark to ignite a stream of escaping butane gas. Such lighters are commonly accepted but sufier from the disadvantages that a supply of flints must be maintained to replenish exhausted flints in order to keep the lighter in a functioning condition. In addition, the manufacture of lighters using flints and a spark wheel-are expensive because of the extra manufacturing steps to assemble the flint and spark wheel assemblies.

To overcome some of the disadvantages of the flint and spark wheel ignition device some prior art lighters employ electrical ignition devices and piezo-electric ignition devices. Lightersof this ,type while overcoming the drawback of requiring the user to maintain a separate supply of flints have certain other inherent disadvantages. Lighters employing an electrical ignition device require batteries to supply a source of electrical energy which necessitates an inordinately large lighter housing and a greater expense for maintenance. Prior art devices using piezo-electric ignition devices have not significantly reduced the cost of assembly and manufacture because a special insulation housing for the piezo-electric crystal must be provided.

Accordingly, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a lighter utilizing a piezo-electric ignition device which is a particularly simple and sturdy construction and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a lighter of the character described wherein a sin gle housing of molded plastic is employed as a fuel reservoir and housing for a piezo-electric ignition device to greatly simplify assembly of the lighter and minimize the costs for materialoutlay.

,ln accordance'with a preferred embodiment of the present invention'a molded plastic housing is employed to form a fuel reservoir chamber.-The housing is also provided with a shoulder segment in which a piezo-- electric ignition assembly is disposed with the ignition assembly being insulated from the fuel reservoir and the point of ignition. A fingerpiece to activate the lighter is arranged on a slide which is'slidable within a guide channel formed by the housing of the lighter and, when the fingerpiece is depressed, a valve communicating with the fuel reservoir is opened to allow a stream of gaseous fuel to escape. The slide also operates a hammer to strike an anvil and activate. the piezoelectric ignition device to create a spark and ignite a stream of escaping gaseous fuel.

The construction of the preferred embodiment as well as further objects and advantages thereof will become further apparent from the following specification when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein: v

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through a lighter.

constructed in accordance to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the lighter of the present invention after the fingerpiece has been depressed to activate the lighter.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, the lighter of the present invention includes an exterior casing 11. A fuel container 12, preferably of a molded plastic material, is fixed within the casing 11 and includes an enclosed fuel reservoir volume 13 within which is stored a fuel such as liquid butane. A filling valve 14 is provided to replenish the fuel supply within reservoir 13 and the casing 11 includes an opening 15 to allow access to the filling valve 14.

Fuel container 12 includes a shoulder 16 on one side through which is formed a partial step-bore 17. Secured within the step-bore 17 is a piezo-electric ignition device 18 which includes a piezo-electric crystal 19 disposed between damping discs 20 and 21 and a sleeve bearing 22 retaining a resistor 23. Piezo-electric ignition device 18 is retained within bore 17 by a spring disc 24 and an arresting bushing 25 which is pressed within bore 17. An anvil 26 extends through bushing 25 and extends beyond the lower surface of the fuel container 12.

Mounted to the upper side of fuel container 12 is an electrode holder housing 27. Within the electrode holder housing 27 is disposed an electrode 28 extending from the piezo-electric ignition device 18 through fuel container 12 and a ground electrode 29 spaced from electrode 28.

Shoulder 16'of fuel container 12 is spaced above the lower wall of casing 11 to define chamber 30. Chamber 30 houses a hammer 31 pivotably secured to pivot about a pivot member 32 and a coil spring 33. is provided to urge the hammer 31 to pivot about pivot member 32 against anvil 26.

To activate the lighter adepressable fingerpiece 34 is provided in the upper portion of casing 11. The underside of fingerpiece 34 includes a depending lip 35 adapted to contact a lever 36 which has oneend 37 secured within a notch 38 in the exterior wall of fuel tank 12. A mid-portion 3 9 of lever 36 is operatively coupled to an extendable closure member 40 of a burner valve 41'. The burner valve 41 is secured within an opening 42 in fuel container 12 and when closure 40 is extended fuel reservoir 13 is unsealed to allow a stream of gas to escape through burnervalve 4l.'As best "seenin FIG.

2, when fingerpiece-34 is depressed depending lip 35 engages the lever 36 to pivot it about its end 37 and extend the closure member 40 to allow a stream of gas to flow from fuel tank 12 through burner valve 41.

Fingerpiece 34 is coupled to a slide member 43 positioned in a guide channel (not shown) within casing 11 and in the non-operative position of the lighter as shown in FIG. 1, the slide member 43 seals a flame aceessopening 44 in casing 11. A leaf spring member 45 is secured to the slide member 43 and includes an angled extension portion 46 which seats within a notch47 of'the hammer'3lLWhen finger-piece 34 is depressed, slide 43 and spring member 45 are also depressed. Slide 43 moves below flame access "opening 44 and spring 45 bears against hammer 31 ,to pivot thehammer against thetension of coil spring 33away from anvil 26.

the piezo-electric element 19. The angled portion 46 of spring member 45 provides a clearance to allow hammer 31 to pivot and strike the anvil 26.

The impact of hammer 31 against anvil 26 creates an ignition spark across the electrodes 28 and 29 and, since fingerpiece 34 has been depressed, a stream of gas from a burner valve 41 is directed across the spark and is ignited. The pressure of the gas escaping through burner valve 41 projects a flame front through flame access opening 44 so that a flame front extends beyond the casing 11 of the lighter.

In the non-operative position of the lighter, as shown in FIG. 1, the engagement of spring member 45 in notch 47 of the hammer urges the hammer away from contact with anvil 26 so that no compressive force exists on the piezo-electric crystal 19 while the lighter is in a non-operative state.

A compression spring 48 is mounted within a housing in casing 11 and bears against the underside of fingerpiece 34 so that when the force depressing the fingerpiece is removed the compression spring 48 returns the fingerpiece 34, slide 43 and lever 36 to the position shown in FIG. 1 thus returning the lighter to a nonoperative state.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a lighterutilizing a piezo-electric ignition device which is relatively simple and inexpensive to construct. The lighter utilizes a one piece fuel tank molded of inexpensive plastic material which also serves to house and insulate the piezo-electric ignition device. The lighter is also easily operable and because of the relatively few moving parts is less likely to be subject to malfunction.

What is claimed is:

1. A lighter utilizing a stream of gaseous fuel to promote a flame front comprising an outer casing, a fuel container defining a sealed fuel reservoir chamber therein disposed within said casing, said fuel container including an integral extending shoulder segment along a substantial portion of the axial length of said container, said shoulder segment provided with a bore therein within which is retained a piezo-elctric ignition assembly, an anvil operatively associated with said piezo-electric ignition assembly including at least a portion thereof extending from said fuel container, a hammer member disposed within said chamber and adapted to strike said anvil to activate said piezoelectric ignition assembly to initiate a spark, and means within said lighter to concurrently activate said hammer to strike said anvil and activate said ignition assembly to create a spark and release a stream of gaseous fuel from said reservoir across said spark thereby to ignite said stream of gaseous fuel.

2. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said shoulder segment of said fuel container is spaced from the internal surface of said casing, said shoulder and said casing defining a chamber, said hammer being pivotably mounted within said chamber, resilient means associated with said hammer to urge said'hammer toward said anvil and a slide member within said casing adapted to contact said hammer to maintain said hammer out of operable contact with said anvil, said means to activate said hammer to strike said anvil comprising means to move said slide member out of contact with said hammer whereby said hammer is urged to contact said anvil by said resilient means.

3. A lighter as defined in claim 2 wherein said casing includes a flame access opening therein through which an ignited stream of gaseous fuel projects a flame front, said slide member being movable responsive to said means to move said slide member from a first position where said slide member seals said flame access opening to a second position wherein said slide member clears said opening.

4. A lighter as defined in claim 2 wherein said hammer includes a notch on one side thereof, said slide member includes a leaf spring member extending therefrom, said leaf spring member adapted to contact said hammer in said notch, said slide member being movable responsive to said means to move said slide member from a first position wherein said hammer is maintained out of operable contact with said anvil to a second position wherein said leaf spring member is disengaged from said notch wherein said hammer is urged by said resilient means to pivot into operable contact with said anvil.

5. A ligher as defined in claim 4 wherein said lighter includes a depressable element operable from exterior said casing, said depressable element being operatively coupled to said slide member wehereby when said depressable element is depressed said slide member is moved from said first position to said second position.

6. A lighter as defined in claim 5 wherein said depressable element is operatively coupled to said means to release a stream of gaseous fuel from said reservoir. k

O JNIT D TATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Y Patent No. 3,771,943 Dated Novemher 13. 19.73

lnventofls) Hermann Schlamp v It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patentare hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet [73], the assignee should read Ronson Corporation Signed and sealed this 17th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner'of Patents FORM USCOMM-DC 60310-959 u.s. GOVERNMENT PRINTING ornc: In! ovui a'll 

1. A lighter utilizing a stream of gaseous fuel to promote a flame front comprising an outer casing, a fuel container defining a sealed fuel reservoir chamber therein disposed within said casing, said fuel container including an integral extending shoulder segment along a substantial portion of the axial length of said container, said shoulder segment provided with a bore therein within which is retained a piezo-elctric ignition assembly, an anvil operatively associated with said piezoelectric ignition assembly including at least a portion thereof extending from said fuel container, a hammer member disposed within said chamber and adapted to strike said anvil to activate said piezo-electric ignition assembly to initiate a spark, and means within said lighter to concurrently activate said hammer to strike said anvil and activate said ignition assembly to create a spark and release a stream of gaseous fuel from said reservoir across said spark thereby to ignite said stream of gaseous fuel.
 2. A lighter as defined in claim 1 wherein said shoulder segment of said fuel container is spaced from the internal surface of said casing, said shoulder and said casing defining a chamber, said hammer being pivotably mounted within said chamber, resilient means associated with said hammer to urge said hammer toward said anvil and a slide member within said casing adapted to contact said hammer to maintain said hammer out of operable contact with said anvil, said means to activate said hammer to strike said anvil comprising means to move said slide member out of contact with said hammer whereby said hammer is urged to contact said anvil by said resilient means.
 3. A lighter as defined in claim 2 wherein said casing includes a flame access opening therein through which an ignited stream of gaseous fuel projects a flame front, said slide member being movable responsive to said means to move said slide member from a first position where said slide member seals said flame access opening to a second position wherein said slide member clears said opening.
 4. A lighter as defined in claim 2 wherein said hammer includes a notch on one side thereof, said slide member includes a leaf spring member extending therefrom, said leaf spring member adapted to contact said hammer in said notch, said slide member being movable responsive to said means to move said slide member from a first position wherein said hammer is maintained out of operable contact with said anvil to a second position wherein said leaf spring member is disengaged from said notch wherein said hammer is urged by said resilient means to pivot into operable contact with said anvil.
 5. A ligher as defined in claim 4 wherein said lighter includes a depressable element operable from exterior said casing, said depressable element being operatively coupLed to said slide member wehereby when said depressable element is depressed said slide member is moved from said first position to said second position.
 6. A lighter as defined in claim 5 wherein said depressable element is operatively coupled to said means to release a stream of gaseous fuel from said reservoir. 